The Xmas Files
by NerdySpaceBean
Summary: Just a few Christmas-themed drabbles centred around Mulder and Scully and their work in the FBI. (Disclaimer: I do not own The X Files, or any of the characters.)
1. Santa Claus

Christmas was rapidly approaching, which made most FBI agents busier due to the spike in crime. However, the season was considerably less noticeable when working cases in the X-Files; regardless of the time of year, spooky occurrences consistently seemed to surface, so the increase in regular crimes didn't make a difference. It certainly helped that Fox Mulder, founder of the X-Files, was so eager to investigate such events that he constantly had a case on the go. If not, he'd undoubtedly be searching for one, much to the irritation of his FBI partner, Dana Scully. Although she enjoyed being busy with work, sometimes she felt that Mulder was making a mountain out of a molehill on particular cases, especially when he applied such unbelievable theories to them. Besides, it was nice to have a rest; being on their feet all day truly was exhausting.

Despite this, the two agents found themselves momentarily stuck with nothing to work on after finishing their most recent case. Naturally, Mulder was desperately sifting through files and scanning the news in an attempt to find a case (most likely half a case) that intrigued him enough to pursue. Meanwhile, Scully had taken the opportunity to grab a coffee from the drinks machine in the corridor upstairs. She rarely had the chance to get one when they were on a case, and she figured the caffeine boost would be to her advantage when they eventually ended up chasing a criminal at some point during the day. For now, Scully knew she should be grateful for the break, though she was beginning to get bored.

When she arrived back in Mulder's basement office, Scully couldn't find her partner in sight. A giant pile of papers and folders was stacked precariously on the desk, and a faint shuffling sound could be heard, though she couldn't tell where it originated from.

"Mulder? You in here?" Scully called out, raising her eyebrows as she glanced around the room.

"One minute, Scully." The shuffling sound grew briefly louder. A moment later, a familiar flop of brown hair appeared over the top of the paper pile. "Hey, did you get me a coffee?"

Scully sighed, ignoring his question. "Have you found anything yet?"

Mulder strode around to the front of his desk, stretching his arms as he did so. "Unfortunately not, but I hope a case will show up before long. Being cooped up down here is driving me nuts. Wait a second – what's the date?"

"It's the eighteenth of December," Scully replied without pausing to think.

"Nearly Christmas. Do you think paranormal-related crimes take a break during the festivities?" Mulder asked, smiling.

Aware of his teasing, Scully remained stony-faced. "I sure hope not, it's putting us out of a job."

"Hey, do you think Santa Claus is an alien?" Mulder continued, ignoring his partner. He was only half-joking.

Scully simply rolled her eyes.

The more Mulder thought about it, the more his newest theory seemed legitimate. "But Scully, it makes perfect sense! No one's ever seen him in person, he comes from the sky and subtly interferes with people's lives on an annual basis, he drives an unidentified flying object… Santa Claus is a textbook X-File."

"Sure. In that case, I'm the Easter Bunny," Scully retorted.

"Okay, so maybe that is a bit far-fetched…" Mulder admitted, looking Scully in the eye. A grin spread across his face as he realised how ridiculous he sounded. "Damn, I need to work."

Scully gave a tired smile in return. "Don't we all. I'm sure you'll find something soon, you always do."


	2. Elves Committing Crimes

"You wanted me?" Scully called out to Mulder as she peeked her head around the door of his basement office. She had already knocked, firmly, but had received no reply.

Not long after she had arrived at work that morning, Assistant Director Skinner had passed her in the corridor and mentioned that Mulder had requested that she visit his office as soon as possible. With nothing better to do, Scully decided there was no time to waste, therefore immediately made her way down to the basement to find her partner. Now, here she was.

"Come in, Scully. Make yourself at home." Mulder gestured for her to enter.

Glancing around at the mess of files and stationary scattered all over the floor, Scully smirked. "I'll try, but my home is a lot tidier."

"Yeah, well it's all for the greater good. Here, take a look at this." Before Scully even had a chance to take a seat, Mulder thrust a file in her face.

She raised her eyebrows at him, prompting an explanation.

"It's a case. A gang of people have been spotted breaking and entering various houses over the past week or so, in a similar area each time." Mulder went on as Scully scanned the file.

"So? How is this relevant to our work? You know we don't deal with breaking and entering."

"Until now. Read the description of our suspects."

Brow furrowed in scepticism, Scully read on. "A group of around six men, all approximately five feet tall with pointed ears, wearing red and green striped outfits. Witnesses claim to have heard the sound of bells around the time of the crimes."

"Changed your mind yet?" Mulder gave his partner a contagious grin; contagious, that is, to everyone apart from Scully.

"Actually, no. I don't see your point here." Scully replied, clearly starting to get irritated.

"Small men, pointed ears, red and green?" Mulder encouraged.

"Mulder, what are you talking about?"

"Elves, Scully. I'm talking about elves."

Catching her breath, Scully bit back a snappy response. "Of course you are," she muttered.

"Can we at least check it out?" Mulder's bright eyes bored into his partner.

"Sure. Fine. Whatever. But it's probably just some kids playing a prank."

"Mmm." Mulder murmured, half-listening as he ushered Scully out the door.

After interviewing some witnesses and having to explain to the local sheriff why the FBI were involved in a breaking and entering case, Mulder and Scully were sat in the car, discussing whether or not they should drive back to Washington.

"I just think this is a job for the local police, not us." Scully was saying.

"I've got a hunch about this, Scully, I think we should stay just a little longer and see if something surfaces." Mulder argued.

However, just as Scully was about to reply, with added irritation in her voice this time, she noticed a flash of green by one of the houses nearby. "Oh no," she muttered, gesturing to Mulder to get out of the car. After some slight hesitation, he did as she asked. The two agents jogged over to each side of the alley next to the house, pressing their backs against the wall.

When Mulder gave her a questioning look, Scully whispered an explanation. "I saw them, they're breaking in."

Scully inclined her head, and they both edged into the alley, one after the other. Near the back of the house, she spotted someone hoisting themselves up onto a window ledge on the ground floor, accompanied by the sound of bells. Drawing her gun, Scully aimed it at the culprit.

"FBI, stop right there!" she shouted.

As the perpetrator glanced at Scully, she realised he had young features, which were exaggerated by an expression of shock.

"Freddie!" The kid called to one of his friends, who was apparently inside the house. "Freddie, get the hell outta there, the cops are here!"

Freddie did as he was told, scrambling to get out of the window; in his desperation, he lost his balance and fell on top of his friend outside the house. They lay on the ground for a few moments, a mess of red and green, and bells (which Scully could now see were attached to both of their shoes) jangled obnoxiously. The two of them leapt to their feet after disentangling themselves and gazed up at the detectives, wide-eyed.

When Scully realised the culprits were only teenagers, she instantly tucked her gun away, as did Mulder. For a few seconds, the FBI agents and the kids merely stared at each other, not knowing what to say.

Freddie spoke first. "Ma'am, are you gonna arrest us?"

"No, but we will have to call the sheriff and tell him you've been breaking into houses." Mulder stepped forward, interjecting before Scully even opened her mouth to speak. "You'll have to wait here with us until he gets here, alright?"

The kids nodded furiously, still looking scared.

Scully turned to look at Mulder with an 'I-told-you-so' look on her face. "Elves?"

Mulder avoided her gaze. "It was a perfectly plausible explanation!"

Scully rolled her eyes. That was another report she'd have to somehow make sound professional.


	3. The Christmas Tree Fiasco

As Scully strolled down to the basement one morning, she noticed the door to Mulder's office was ajar. This in itself wasn't entirely out of the ordinary, as the FBI agent was often forgetful and apathetic enough to not bother closing it. However, this time Scully could see, wedged in the top half of the door, what looked like tree branches. As she edged closer, the branches started to shake as if someone was tugging on them from the other side of the door, dropping dark green, plastic pine needles on the floor outside. Frowning, Scully gingerly knocked on the door; the tree stopped shaking as she did so.

"What's going on in there?" She called out.

"Oh – Scully, is that you? – I'm trying to get this tree in my office," Mulder replied matter-of-factly from inside. His voice was slightly muffled by the barrier of the door. "You couldn't help me by any chance, could you?"

After a brief moment of bewilderment, Scully shook her head, deciding to simply go with the flow. That always seemed to be the best way of effectively working with her partner, even if it did irritate her. "It would probably help if you opened the door properly," she suggested flatly.

"Yeah, I'm afraid I can't. There's a bunch of filing cabinets in the way."

Scully glanced heavenwards. "What did I-" _tell you about sorting out the filing cabinets?_ , she was going to say, before thinking better of it. Of course Mulder hadn't listened to her, why should essentially saying "I told you so" make any difference? "Never mind. Can't you move them at all?"

"Maybe. Hang on a sec, I'll try." Footsteps, a vague shuffling sound, footsteps again. "Okay, try the door? I'll get the tree."

Placing one hand firmly on the door, Scully pushed it, dislodging a few more pine needles in the process. The door opened by a couple of inches, allowing room for the tree to be pulled inside by Mulder. He emitted a small sound of victory as his partner squeezed through the gap left in the doorway. Unfortunately, there still wasn't enough room for her to fully stand in the room, as the tree was filling up half the space in there. Mulder himself was squashed between the tree and the filing cabinet.

"I thought you didn't celebrate Christmas anyway?" Scully asked curiously as she awkwardly peered around the door.

"Not in a religious way, but I enjoy the festivities. My family always liked the tradition. And besides, it's only a tree, no big deal," he explained.

Scully gave him a fleeting smile in agreement. "Now that task has been accomplished, don't you think it's time to do some work?" She raised her eyebrows.

Mulder gave her a look. "Oh, that was only the start of it. Now I gotta put it someplace in here where it's not in the way – and decorate it," he gestured towards a box full of tinsel and baubles on his desk.

"Well, I'll leave you to it." Scully ducked her head as she turned to leave his office.

"Wait – Scully! I could use your help here, you know."

"I've got a meeting with Skinner." Which wasn't due for another half hour yet, but Mulder didn't need to know that.

"But Scully-"

"Bye, Mulder."

Two hours later, Mulder was still wrestling with the tree. The floor of his office was concealed by a carpet of pine needles, and baubles were spilling over his desk as he struggled to find room for them. Tinsel was wrapped around the agent's neck like a feather boa, and he was fairly sure there was a bit of branch stuck in his tousled hair. "Damn it!" He yelled in frustration as he just caught the tree from falling on top of him for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Agent Mulder!" A man barked from the doorway, startling Mulder so much he nearly slipped on a bauble. When he managed to turn himself around, he saw it was Assistant Director Skinner.

"Sir." He nodded, not knowing how else to greet him.

"Agent Scully has solved five cases in the time you've been trying to install this Christmas tree in your office. Or she could have if she hadn't been waiting around for you." Skinner was stony-faced as he reprimanded the agent. "I understand you might be in the festive spirit, but that is no excuse to shirk your responsibilities as an FBI agent. Agent Scully will be returning shortly, and if you haven't found a case by the time she arrives, you'll have me to answer to. Now get back to work this instant!"

"Sorry, Sir." Mulder replied sheepishly, propping the tree up against the nearest wall. "Merry Christmas," he added as sincerely as possible as Skinner turned to leave.

Skinner looked even more annoyed for a second, but his face softened slightly. "Yeah, you too. And hurry up." He shook his head in disbelief as he walked away.


	4. Krampus Part 1

Donning her lab coat and goggles, Scully prepared to perform her first autopsy of the day. The FBI agent sighed as she snapped on her elastic gloves; she'd been forced to wake up early in order to board a plane to the scene of the crime, and considering she didn't get home until late last night, she must have only had five hours sleep under her belt. On top of all this, Scully hadn't even had enough time to grab a coffee that morning. Despite her exhaustion, she was determined to power through, and silently willed herself to stay focused as she picked up a scalpel.

However, just as Scully began the incision in the cadaver's chest, she heard the morgue door swing open as Mulder strolled in. Pausing, she threw him an irritated glance.

Raising his eyebrows, Mulder decided not to comment on her look. In one of his hands was an evidence bag, which he waved encouragingly at his partner. "I come bearing evidence. A piece of coal was found at the crime scene, I figure you could swab it for prints," He held up a file which was in his other hand. "I also brought you the file on the victim; his name was Nicholas Jarrett, 43 years old, he ran his own business selling cars. Mr Jarrett wasn't entirely clean though – when I interviewed a few of his neighbours, they told me he'd been scamming customers out of a lot of cash, but most people turned a blind eye to it. I'll leave it here if you wanna take a look. How's the autopsy going?"

Scully lifted her goggles off, placing them on top of her head as she turned to speak to Mulder. "Well, from what I can tell so far, it's likely that the victim died from a heart attack. He suffered severe lacerations to the back and shoulders, probably from some kind of whip. I can't tell you anything else until I've completed the autopsy."

"A whip, huh?" Mulder frowned, seemingly distracted by a sudden thought. "Hey Scully, have you ever heard of Krampus?"

"The, uh, goat-like creature from European folklore?"

"Yeah, like evil Santa Claus – instead of giving presents to good children, he punishes the bad ones. In some versions of the tale, he carries around birch branches which he uses as a whip." Mulder explained.

Scully caught on that her partner was beginning to formulate one of his wacky theories once again, and refrained from rolling her eyes. "Mulder, are you saying a mythical creature killed this man?"

"No… Just pointing out the similarities, that's all." The FBI agent may as well have said, _that's exactly what I'm saying, a demon goat is the murderer_ ; there was no way he was fooling Scully with his beating around the bush. "This isn't the first murder either. Three other men have been killed around this area starting on the fifth of December, and it turned out that they weren't exactly cornerstones of the community either. One had cheated on his wife, one was found with drugs in his apartment, and the last guy had a hoard of jewellery stashed in his basement from the local store."

"That certainly gives a motive for murder." Scully commented.

"You think? What's your theory?" Mulder asked, his tone slightly patronising.

"I'd say our suspect lives in the neighbourhood, and is angry at the injustice of these men getting away with committing crimes. He thinks of himself as a vigilante, doing people a favour by eliminating criminals from the community. It's been seen many times before." The FBI agent speculated.

Mulder nodded, but it was obvious he hadn't been completely listening. "Okay, well, I'm gonna have a chat with the sheriff about the locals, see if we can figure out who might be next."

"Sure. I'll let you know if I find anything here." Scully pulled her goggles back on and picked up her scalpel once again.

"See you later, Scully." Mulder strode out of the double doors, his mind whirring excessively as he contemplated the facts of the case so far. He was going to speak with the sheriff like he said, but he couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that was telling him to consult a particular file back in his office.


	5. Krampus Part 2

"Over there!" Mulder frantically gestured towards a tree with his gun as he yelled at his partner. "Quick, Scully!"

Nodding hastily, Scully sprinted over so she was parallel to the tree Mulder had pointed to and aimed her gun at it, squinting to try and see what they were chasing. Unfortunately, two red eyes flicked their gaze onto her; with a guttural growl, the creature leapt away in a flurry of leaves.

"Scully?" Mulder called out, questioning what had happened without actually asking.

His partner jogged over to him, emitting a frustrated sigh. "It got away."

Prior to this, the two FBI agents had found the creature by a stroke of luck. After Mulder had spoken to the local sheriff, he had a good idea of who the next victim might be, but that was as far as he could get with the case at that moment. It had got to the point where the niggling thought about a familiar X-File at the back of his mind refused to stop bothering him, therefore he decided to travel back to his office in Washington and consult said file; after all, there wasn't much else he could do until the autopsy had been done. Mulder didn't see any reason to call Scully before he left, since she hadn't contacted him about finding anything, so she clearly hadn't finished the autopsy yet. Besides, he'd be there and back before she knew it.

Back in his office, Mulder had scanned the X-Files until he found the one he was looking for. It was filed under 'K', for 'Krampus', and detailed a number of similar murders dating back to the 1960s, starting on the fifth of December every few years and lasting up until Christmas Day, all in various different towns. Each victim had died from cardiac arrest or excessive blood loss, and suffered the same pattern of lacerations on their backs. In addition, each of the victims had something morally questionable to hide, but had never been punished for it. The culprit had never been caught, but sightings of a mysterious horned, haired beast had been reported in the towns of most murders.

The moment Mulder's plane had landed back in town, his phone had started ringing; it was Scully, who told him she had completed the autopsy and found wooden splinters in the victim's wounds, which was likely from a branch. Soon enough, the two of them reunited when Mulder met up with Scully outside the morgue. He told her who he thought the next victim might be, and since it was getting towards the end of the day, they decided to ask him a few questions before checking in to a motel for the night. However, when the agents had arrived at the man's house, he wouldn't answer the door, and they found a back window smashed in. Mulder had kicked in the front door and they found the man lying on the floor surrounded in a pool of blood. When he glanced up, he caught a glimpse of a creature escaping from the window and into the forest nearby. He had beckoned Scully over and they followed the creature through the forest, in an intense pursuit.

Now, the agents stood in the middle of the forest, adrenaline pumping as they scanned their surroundings. Mulder soon spotted a disturbance as rapid movements created a trail of shaking through some bushes.

"There, can you see it?" He whispered to his partner as he pointed to the trembling leaves.

"Let's move." Scully replied, stepping cautiously to one side of the bushes as Mulder went to the other side, so the creature had a minimised chance of escape.

As the agents approached the bush containing the creature, the rustling increased, and before long, it pounced out of the leaves towards Scully. Its body was a tangle of black hair, and two twisted horns protruded proudly from its forehead. Mulder cried out his partner's name as he rushed to help, but he couldn't get a clear shot since she was so close to the creature. Luckily, Scully reacted quickly and fired two shots into the creature; one hit its shoulder, but the second more successful shot hit it square in the chest. A piercing scream burst out of the creature's mangled mouth and echoed through the woods as it felt the white-hot bullet rip through its skin. Somehow, it managed to gather enough strength and determination to stagger away. Mulder and Scully simply watched it disappear into the night, eyes wide and mouths open. Once they could no longer see the creature, they turned to each other, still in shock.

"You just… shot Krampus." Mulder said after a brief silence, still catching his breath.

Scully shot him a look, still reluctant to believe the creature was what Mulder claimed it to be. "I doubt it'll get far, not with an injury that severe."

Mulder thought for a moment. "Was it really such a tragedy though? Bad guys being punished for being bad? Surely Krampus was doing the police a favour."

"Are you seriously telling me that that… _thing_ … killing people was a favour?" Raising her eyebrows, Scully was utterly mortified at what her partner had just said.

"No, of course not. I'm just saying that morals are more complex that we think."

Scully didn't grace him with a reply. The two of them strolled out of the woods, too exhausted to even think about the paperwork waiting for them in the morning.

In the distance, Krampus vowed his revenge.


	6. Secret Santa Part 1

_Six weeks ago…_

"Alright, agents," Skinner began, glancing between Mulder and Scully every few seconds or so. He'd asked them to come by his office as soon as they had a moment spare, and they'd arrived pretty much immediately. Oddly enough, Skinner hadn't specified the reason for a meeting, and this ambiguity was what had encouraged Mulder and Scully to see him so quickly. Their curiosity was soon to be satisfied.

"Earlier this week I asked you to write your names down on a piece of paper, as I'm sure you remember." When the agents nodded in confirmation, Skinner pulled out a small, fabric bag from under his desk. He shook it, holding it out in front of them. "Take one; if it's got your name on it, take a different one and put it back after."

Scully glanced at Mulder, who inclined his head towards the bag as if to say _you go first_. Smiling in a brief gesture of appreciation, she leaned forward and dipped one hand into the bag, removing a folded piece of paper from inside. She opened it, read the name written on it, and quietly slipped it into her jacket pocket, revealing nothing through her body language. Following suit, Mulder also took a piece of paper, returned it after reading the name inside, and then took another, which he stuffed into his trouser pocket.

After an unsure silence, Scully addressed her boss. "Sorry, sir, what was the reason for this again?"

"Secret Santa!" Skinner declared cheerily, his face breaking into a rare expression of joy. "You have six weeks to buy a gift for the person whose name you got. And don't tell anyone – it's called Secret Santa for a reason."

"Got it." Mulder replied, one corner of his mouth turning upwards in a half-smirk. "Is that all?"

"Why? Are you in a rush, Agent Mulder?" Eyes narrowing, Skinner glared at Mulder with distant suspicion in addition to annoyance at his abrupt attitude.

"No, of course not. Just eager to find a case, sir."

"Well, that won't be necessary," – Skinner reached into his desk drawer, retrieving a chunky file. He offered it to Mulder – "A woman was murdered under suspicious circumstances, it sounds like it'll be right up your street. I thought you and Agent Scully might want to check it out."

Taking the file, Mulder hastily flicked through it, scanning the first page. It was clear he'd taken an instant interest to the case. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate this."

"No problem. Now get to work."

"Will do, sir." Mulder nodded as he exited the room. Scully wasn't far behind, though she gave Skinner a smile as she left. They had work to do first, but Christmas presents were close second on the list.


	7. Secret Santa Part 2

_A few weeks later…_

As Skinner returned from his lunch break, he noticed a small box in the centre of his desk with a note attached to it. Frowning, he approached it with caution; when he saw what was written on the note, he relaxed:

 _Merry Christmas_

 _Your Secret Santa_

Skinner picked up the box, removing the note, and opened it methodically. Inside was a simple yet smart-looking watch, one that was more practical than fashionable, but it was evident that thought had gone into it. He knew instantly that it was from Agent Scully. Smiling to himself, Skinner wrapped the watch around his wrist and clipped it on, admiring the way it looked. He considered thanking Scully outright for the gift, but inevitably settled for giving her a knowing look next time he saw her.

Busy working on a case, Mulder hurried out of his office, shrugging on his coat on the way. Before he reached the exit, he came to an abrupt halt when an ageing man casually stepped in front of him, blocking his path. A puff of cigarette smoke blew directly into Mulder's face, stinging his eyes.

"Agent Mulder," the man began, gazing coolly at the agent.

Mulder remained silent, but maintained eye contact.

"That case you're working on – the serial killer known as 'The Ghost'?" The question was rhetorical, therefore Mulder didn't answer. "We've caught your suspect. He was arrested this morning, with solid evidence against him. I thought you'd want to know."

A crease appeared between Mulder's eyebrows. "But I nearly had him," was all he could think to say.

"Yes," The man agreed, much to the agent's surprise. "You and I both know that that was the problem."

The crease in Mulder's forehead deepened.

"Anyway, case closed. Merry Christmas." Before he walked away, the man held up a small piece of paper between two fingers and slipped it into Mulder's breast pocket. Then, without another word, he was gone.

Mulder waited a moment, allowing his brief encounter to sink in, before gingerly removing the piece of paper from his pocket. It read, in his own handwriting:

 _Fox Mulder_

"Mulder?"

Mulder snapped back to reality, realising he'd zoned out, and saw his partner gazing up at him expectantly.

"I… My case is closed." He muttered, still distant.

"Congratulations." Scully replied drily.

Shaking his head, Mulder let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He then looked down at Scully in surprise, as if noticing her for the first time. "Scully! Just the person I wanted to see."

"Nice to know when I'm wanted." Scully commented, raising her eyebrows at him.

Mulder began to frantically pat himself down, mainly targeting his pockets. He paused when he felt inside his jacket, grinning to show he'd found what he was looking for. "Here," he said, passing something small to his partner.

"What's… this?" Scully asked warily, lifting her hand up to her face.

"Merry Christmas!" Mulder exclaimed.

Squinting at the object, Scully realised it was a metal keychain in the shape of a UFO. When she looked closer, she observed an engraving curved around its edge; it said 'I WANT TO BELIEVE'. She closed her eyes for a second to avoid rolling them at her partner.

"Thanks." Scully eventually said, unable to resist a small smile at the irony of his gift.

"I knew you'd like it!" Mulder beamed. "I got it made 'specially."

"That's very thoughtful of you." Scully's tone remained monotonous. She frowned disapprovingly as something occurred to her. "Hang on, this is my Secret Santa gift, right?"

"Right…?"

"You're not supposed to tell me who it's from. That's the whole point."

"Ah, come on, Scully! There's only – what – two, three people I actually know who work here? The options are very limited, chances are you'd get something from me or Skinner. Besides, you know my handwriting, and you're a detective, I'm sure you'd figure it out." Mulder had a point.

Scully couldn't argue with his reasoning, for once.


	8. Family Dinner

An isolated house loomed before Mulder. He was stood on a vast plain of grass, gazing up at the picture-perfect, white-planked house topped with sweeping red tiles. It was just how he remembered it.

Stepping up to the front door, Mulder prepared to knock, but then somehow knew there was no need to. He gently pushed the door with one hand, and it swung open in a welcoming gesture. Inside, Mulder could see both his parents sat at the dinner table, accompanied by an unknown yet familiar woman. She had long, curly, brunette hair, and attentive grey eyes.

"Come in, Fox," his mother called, reaching out a hand and smiling warmly. "Dinner's on the table, it's your favourite."

Slightly confused, Mulder walked slowly into the dining room, glancing at each face as he did.

"Hurry up, Fox, your sister came over especially." His father added, beckoning him over.

Mulder turned to focus on the other person at the table, who smiled comfortably back at him. "Samantha?" He breathed.

Her smile widened. "So you do remember me. Sit down, Dad's gonna carve the beef."

Dazed yet pleasantly surprised, Mulder sat next to his sister and watched in silence as his father placed mounds of food on plates which his mother dished out to everyone individually. It included slices of roast beef, mashed potato, green beans, stuffing, and cornbread dressing. As he turned his head to observe the room, Mulder noticed fairy lights tacked over the fireplace, bells hanging from various light fixtures, and tinsel covering everything else.

"Merry… Christmas?" His festive wish sounded more like a question, though his family didn't seem to think anything unusual of it.

"Merry Christmas, Fox!" Samantha replied, grinning as she raised a glass of wine.

"And all the best for the new year!" Their mother clinked her glass against it, closely followed by their father.

"I'll drink to that." Mulder joined in. However, the moment he tapped his glass against his sister's, a tremble shook through the furniture, toppling ornaments and decorations throughout the room. Plug sockets sparked, and the chandelier above the table began to shake violently. Outside the window, red and blue lights began to flash sporadically, casting an eerie glow over the household.

"Fox!" Samantha yelled desperately. All previous indications of joy had now left her expression; all that was left was fear and panic.

Leaping out of his seat, Mulder frantically whipped his head from side to side, trying to visually take in what was going on. He couldn't think of any way to reassure his sister, since he was as shocked and scared as she was, therefore he simply blinked at her, mouth hanging open. The front doorknob then began to turn, slowly and deliberately, as if the person turning it was purposely trying to incite anxiety. Not long after, an all-encompassing light blasted through the windows and doors, indiscriminately consuming every object in Mulder's field of vision.

"Samantha! Samantha!" He shouted, blindly spinning around. He reached out his arms in front of him, impatiently attempting to locate his sister, or parents, or anything, but he knew in his mind that they were already gone.

Suddenly, the light vanished and was replaced by Mulder's apartment. He was lying on the carpet, one arm flung out across his sofa, the other still flailing about in the air. Beads of sweat covered his face and neck, leaving a salty taste on his tongue every time he took a breath. His heart was pounding erratically, refusing to calm down. Forcing himself into an upright position, Mulder hastily scanned the room to check everything was in order; his gun was tucked safely in its holster next to his FBI badge on the coffee table, half a roll of masking tape was sat on the windowsill, the television was blaring out some black-and-white comedy sketch. It was just how he remembered it. Nothing had changed.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **This will be the last chapter (at least until next Christmas), so thank you to everyone who has reviewed/followed/favourited this story, I really appreciate it! I hope you all had a great Christmas (or whichever holiday you celebrate), and that you have a fantastic 2017!**


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